


Pockets Full of Stones

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [27]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Intrigue At First Sight, Kol Lives, Mermaid!Caroline, To Annoy Klaus Mostly, klarolineauweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 19:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5061946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus just wants a little peace, after a trying day. But Kol's blown back into NOLA and his transgressions with a coven of witches need to be dealt with. But Kol's brought back a peace offering, in the form of a mermaid he's dumped in Klaus' pool.</p><p>Just when Klaus thought the world held no more mysteries for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pockets Full of Stones

**Author's Note:**

> For Day Six AU: Mythological Creatures.

**Pockets Full Of Stones**

**(Last year, on** _**The Originals** _ **, Davina was practicing something they called 'Earth Magic.' So I thought hmm, is there also 'Water Magic?' and then my brain went directly to mermaids. As is should. Title from What The Water Gave Me by Florence + the Machine. Rated K+.)**

When Klaus walks into his house, intent on locking himself away in his studio, all he wants is a glass of bourbon and some peace and quiet. Why ever had he thought taking back New Orleans was a good idea? And how had the various factions managed to survive so long, without burning the city to the ground? They were like squabbling children, for the most part, and it was a trial not to slaughter them all and start fresh.

Perhaps next week.

He knows his studio is occupied, before he even opens the door. He grits his teeth, resists the urge to crush the doorknob in his grasp. A little peace and quiet was just not something Klaus was going to get today, especially since the daggers were all the way on the other side of the house.

"Hello, Brother," Kol greets him, taking a swig out of the bottle in his hand. He's at Klaus' desk, dusty boots propped up on the edge, drinking 80 year old whiskey like it's water.

"Kol," Klaus returns evenly, "I thought you were in Greece."

"Yes, I gathered you were aware of my location, from the messengers you sent. I do hope that one bloke's arm grows back alright."

Klaus turns his back to his brother, so Kol won't be able to note how tightly Klaus' jaw is clenched, and decide to be even more aggravating. Klaus pours himself a large drink. He'll need it, now more than ever.

"I was told that you were antagonizing the witch population there and that I'd best collect you, lest they decide to put some effort into putting you down themselves."

Kol scoffs, "They're welcome to try. And I was not. Is it my fault that witches are prone to ridiculous fits of jealousy? How was I supposed to know that they were sisters?"

Klaus stalks over to the desk, shoving Kol's legs from it, leaning down to meet his brother's eyes, "I need The Naxos Coven, Kol. They're the only practitioners of their particular branch of magic who still thrive. Why can't you confine your carnal dalliances to any of the myriad of Earth Magic covens?"

"Because they're dull, Nik. Besides, it seems as though your pet Water Witches have been keeping something from you."

Kol's eyebrows rise mockingly, and Klaus straightens, anger flooding him, biting out, "Explain. Now."

But Kol's not intimidated, unfortunately. He drains the rest of his bottle, standing and making a show of brushing off his clothes.

"Kol," Klaus growls in warning, "do not test me. Not today."

"Keep your knickers on, Brother. This is something you need to  _see_. Trust me."

Kol heads to the door, not looking back to see if Klaus is following. He does, reluctantly, because Kol's version of a surprise was rarely a good thing. Kol leads him downstairs, towards the back of the house, and outside into the late afternoon sunshine.

Kol waits for Klaus to come up beside him, smirking and gesturing to the swimming pool. "Don't say I never gave you anything, Nik."

It's only centuries of practice that prevent Klaus from expressing his shock.

Because there appears to be a mermaid, huddled in a corner at the far end of the pool.

She's nearly fully submerged, her eyes just above the surface of the water. They're narrowed, the cool blue of them scarcely visible to Klaus, alert and watchful and very,  _very_  angry.

"Tasty little thing, isn't she?" Kol murmurs, watching Klaus' reactions carefully.

Klaus shoots his brother a glare, though he can't say he disagrees. She's lovely, from what he can see. Her thick blonde hair tumbles down her back, plaits of it woven together in intricate braids, threaded through with bits of silver and gold. The pale skin of her torso is covered by no garment, flawless, and at her hips scales of the palest blue begin, getting darker and shifting to greens down the length of her tail.

He's need days, and dozens of paints, to even begin to try to capture all of the colors.

"I'm told she can talk," Kol tells him, "but I have yet to see any evidence of an ability to make sounds other than snarls. She's a bit violent, too. Tore the throat out of one of the men on the ship, before we could subdue her."

Klaus is watching her, sees her smile at Kol's words, teeth pearly white, the incisors just a touch too sharp to pass for human. She understands exactly what Kol had just said, and Klaus would bet that she speaks just fine, and is merely picky about when she does so.

"I'll be having a little chat with our witch friends. Very soon. Because I assume their knowledge is not new, not something that simply slipped their minds?"

Kol throws his head back and laughs, "Hardly. Cassia, that was the first sister, had loose lips. They've known for centuries. Have a bit of a symbiotic relationship. The mermaid's scales add a certain kick to protective spells, their blood seems to work similarly to ours. Heals wounds and such. She even said you can use strands of hair in love potions, but I think that bit was drivel."

"And what do they," Klaus nods to the creature in the pool, "get in return?"

Kol reaches into his pocket, pulls out a bracelet. It's beaded, wood and shells and polished stones. Bloodstone, if Klaus isn't mistaken. Kol twirls it around his fingertip, and the mermaid's eyes follow it covetously. "They get these. Some nifty enchantments and they're not stuck in fish form all the time. Pulled it off of her so she couldn't run. She needs to stay near water, when she's like this. The legs are nearly as pretty as the tail."

Klaus plucks the bracelet from his brother's hand, studies it more closely, notes the symbols carved into the individual beads. He turns back to the girl, who's turned the full force of her attention to him. She's wary, like she senses that he's the bigger threat. It's fascinating, she's fascinating, to Klaus. It's been a very long time since he's discovered something new in this world.

He walks around the edge of the pool, and she tracks him, with her eyes, her body moving with just a flutter of her powerful tail.

He dangles the bracelet towards her, and she moves, quicker than he'd been expecting. Her fingers are slender, topped by lethal looking claws and Klaus only just manages to avoid having his forearm sliced open.

Her eyes blaze with anger. "That's mine," she tells him, her voice soft but imperious, edged in threat.

Klaus is hard pressed to keep from laughing, bad mood forgotten, because this day had just turned far more interesting. "And perhaps I'll give it back to you, love. In time." Klaus sinks down into a crouch, cautiously, resting on the balls of his feet, in case she tries to strike again. She can't kill him, but she likely doesn't know that, and she seems the sort to try. Klaus almost hopes she does, so he can learn more about the things that she is capable of. "Now," he coaxes her, smiling genially, "tell me your name."


End file.
